Upasana Singh accuses Poonam Dhillon, Padmini Kolhapure of using CINTAA for publicity, says members were insulted

Mumbai, August 28 (IANS) Former General Secretary of Cine and TV Artistes Association (CINTAA) Upasana Singh has accused the organisation’s current leadership under Padmini Kolhapure and Poonam Dhillon of allegedly using the association’s platforms for self publicity.

She even claimed that pictures clicked of other Executive Committee members during important events, were cropped to highlight only Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure.

Speaking about CINTAA’s interactions with government representatives, Singh alleged that photographs from such meetings were selectively used for publicity.

“We used to go only to meet the ministers. If you look at our phones, I can show you so many photographs of meeting the ministers, which we also used to go. But whose photographs were printed? Photographs were printed only of Poonam and Padmini,” Singh said.

“And if it was any other actor’s photograph, it would be cropped. This has happened with Dilbaghji as well. So, only her photographs will be printed. Then, CINTAA was used only for her publicity,” Singh alleged.

Upasana Singh also alleged that CINTAA’s resources were used for press conferences in which, according to her, greater prominence was given to Dhillon and Kolhapure.

“There were different press conferences, in which CINTAA’s money was used. And only she was given more preference,” she alleged.

Referring to a press conference related to the Raj Kapoor Night event, Singh claimed that members of the Executive Committee were not invited and that only Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure attended.

“There was a press conference for Raj Kapoor Night. In that, none of our EC members were invited. Only Poonam and Padmini were invited,” she said.

Upasana alleged that she subsequently learnt about the press conference through the media and questioned why the other Executive Committee members had not been informed.

She also referred to a press conference connected with an event involving veteran actress Hema Malini, alleging that the Executive Committee members were given a later time slot while the press conference had already begun earlier.

“There was a press conference for Hema Malini’s show. EC members were given time at 3.30 pm. And the press conference started at 12.30 PM. When Deepak Parashar knocked when he reached the venue, nobody even opened the door,” Singh said.

Upasana Singh made the allegations while speaking about the ongoing dispute within CINTAA, which intensified after 11 members of the association’s Executive Committee resigned earlier this month.

Eight of the 11 were elected members, Hemant Pandey, Mukesh Rishi, Sahila Chadha, Hetal Parmar, Puneet Issar, Vindu Dara Singh, Vikas Verma and Deepak Parashar. The resignations were accompanied by allegations of unfair decision-making and misuse of positions.

The association’s leadership has rejected Singh’s allegations. At a CINTAA press conference held on August 24, Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure addressed the accusations and presented their side of the dispute.

Poonam Dhillon described Upasana Singh’s allegations as baseless and false, saying that funds raised by CINTAA were accounted for and that no money was used for personal gain.

Padmini Kolhapure also rejected the allegations, stating that the funds raised were handled responsibly and directed towards their intended beneficiaries.

–IANS

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